Film Director
I produced and directed One Note at a Time, my first documentary feature film, which is set in New Orleans. It was selected from 4000 films to World Premier in the New Orleans Film Festival in October 2016, and had an excellent reception on an IMAX screen. The film went on to feature in many festivals winning awards and was released officially in 2017 in the UK and 2018 in USA.
My directing career started after my Film, Photography and TV Degree course, whilst making corporate films at GHA for clients including TNT and Avis. Following this, I directed several short drama films, and in 2010 made In Recovery, which won the Winner Runner Up Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Babelgum Online Film Festival, part of the Tribeca Film Festival.
Following the success of One Note at a Time, my colleagues and I have developed a slate of documentaries featuring extraordinary artists, and a children's media brand, Magic Wanda The Dragon® that introduces children to phenomenal humans through loveable dragon characters. These are being developed and produced through the production company NightSky Pictures.
‘Sometimes, films really take you by surprise’
‘Director/Producer Renee Edwards has crafted a documentary about the embattled tradition of New Orleans’ musicians, and their struggle for continued habitation and survival after their careers have been made barely tenable by natural disaster, poor flood defences and political machinations. Now, of course I’d be interested: a close-up look at musicians such as Dr. John; an artful look at a waning culture as in Embrace of the Serpent; all the vibrancy, voodoo, Dixieland and drama of N’Awlinz. Somehow, by looking at a city ravaged by and recovering from Hurricane Katrina without focusing on the Storm Herself, this lovingly and masterfully assembled film swept me away‘.
Michael Dornant – Oxford Daily Info Review
Chad Owen
Cinematographer
One Note at a Time
‘‘Working closely with Renée on her film 'One Note at a Time' was a highlight of my career. Her bold vision, persistence, and keen sense of story resulted in a film I am extremely proud of to have contributed as cinematographer.
Where other directors may have cut corners or let storylines fizzle, Renée remained dedicated-for many years-to follow, capture, and share the complex issues of healthcare, cultural decline & renewal, music, and equity in the film. I learned so much from her because she treated me as a true collaborator,
not just a gun-for-hire.’’
John Hoare
Cameraman
‘‘I worked with director Renée on her short drama film Fauna Sauna, and it was a happy experience.
They say that editors make the best directors, and she certainly illustrates the point: Renée knows what shots she needs from a scene: which ones are "essential" and which are merely "desirable". She knows the story she wants to tell, but has the confidence to consider suggestions from cast
and crew.’’
Roddy Gye
MD GHA
‘‘Renée’s finest hour at GHA was the video she directed for our long established client TNT Express Worldwide. The result was the most acclaimed and widely distributed video production ever made for TNT.’’